Artwork
The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Bernard Van Orley. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
The painting features the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and the young Saint John the Baptist, offering a devotional scene now housed in the Museo del Prado.
Bernard van Orley, a prominent Flemish artist, completed The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist in 1515 using oil paint. This religious composition exemplifies the Northern Renaissance style, yet also reflects Italian artistic trends that influenced van Orley's work. The painting features the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and the young Saint John the Baptist, offering a devotional scene now housed in the Museo del Prado.
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on the Virgin Mary, depicted in a red gown, cradling the Christ Child. Beside them, the infant Saint John the Baptist stands, identifiable by his staff. An open book and stacked volumes on the patterned bench suggest learning and piety, while the red rosary beads held by the Christ Child emphasize the work's devotional purpose. The background reveals a detailed landscape, merging the sacred narrative with elements of daily life.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint, this work showcases Bernard van Orley's distinctive approach within the Northern Renaissance. Active in Brussels, he was a versatile artist known for his contributions to painting, tapestry design, and stained glass. Van Orley's style, while rooted in Flemish tradition, also incorporated formal and compositional elements characteristic of the Italian Renaissance, a testament to the cross-cultural artistic exchange of the period despite his never visiting Italy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bernard van Orley (between 1487 and 1491 – 6 January 1541), also called Barend or Barent van Orley, Bernaert van Orley or Barend van Brussel, was a versatile Flemish artist and representative of Dutch and Flemish…
The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist; (reverse) Trompe-l'oeil with Painting of The Man of Sorrows
Virgin and Child with Angels
The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist
The Adoration of the Magi![Christ among the Doctors [obverse], by Bernard Van Orley](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernard-van-orley--christ-among-the-doctors-obverse--78795f311364e613-w320.webp)
Christ among the Doctors [obverse]
The Marriage of the Virgin
The Virgin and Child![Putto with Arms of Jacques Coëne [reverse], by Bernard Van Orley](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernard-van-orley--putto-with-arms-of-jacques-coene-reverse--841c6ba9c9e9862d-w320.webp)
Putto with Arms of Jacques Coëne [reverse]